Tuesday, December 31, 2013

All sides in Brooklyn GOP to blame for their part in horrible performance in 2013 Muni-elections -- even me

Will 2014 be more of the same ? Maybe everybody involved should just go off fishing, instead....

For Kings County Republican Chairman Craig Eaton 2013 was certainly “Annus Horribilis”; on the other hand, Eaton’s most recent main nemesis, State Senator Martin Golden, isn’t running around making any declarations that 2013 was in any way his “Annus Mirabilis”.... It remains to be seen whether either or both of those two are going to be looked upon by the rest of us as “Anus Horribilis” for what they did or didn’t do in 2013. Clearly, 2014 impends with a lot of its promise apparently broken from the start.

Like King Lear, Eaton would be in character soliloquizing about 2013 that he “...is more sinned against than sinning...” Nonetheless, also like Lear, much of the situation in which the Brooklyn party chairman found himself was of his own making — more often resulting from default than mis- or malfeasance (never forget that default does hold fault in its embrace).

For Marty Golden’s part, I’m sure he found himself in the position of Michael Corleone, with Craig’s being so close and so often doing the “Fredo” bit (over and over and over again). Can’t you just picture the Brooklyn GOP State Senator saying something like this to his Brooklyn GOP leader, “[Craig], you're nothing to me now. You're not a brother, you're not a friend. I don't want to know you or what you do. I don't want to see you at [my office or at the Manor], I don't want you near my house....”

Frankly, 2013 was enough of a GOP clusterf- -k that both sides in the kerfuffle should be equally proud. With a handful of exceptions, it was a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing. The “Republicans for Change” (Golden’s guys) started the year with all the good cards and won a couple of tricks early, then it was losing hand after losing hand, with the 2013 General Elections for the municipal offices a complete and utter fiasco. The Brooklyn GOP establishment hung on by the skin of their teeth; with the outside possibility that the NYS Courts could take it all away by the end of January 2014. Only one GOP club in Brooklyn clearly improved their place at the table, the LaGuardia Regular Republican Organization, which moved camp from the 49th AD to the 46th with a very well executed primary campaign against the people from the Seergy Club, that earned two State Committee positions and the Executive Vice Chairmanship of the party. Each and every GOP candidate for public office in Brooklyn in 2013 lost — most lost badly. The one who did run the closest, was an RFC candidate for City Council, who should have won the seat and didn’t. For my part, I thought the big play for Hynes' running hard as the GOP-Conservative Party DA candidate was "BRILLIANT !" — I also thought the Giants had a good shot to be the hometown team in the Superbowl this year. So much for all that.

As we close the curtain on 2013, in the wings there are plenty of other characters anxious to jump out onto the stage in the next act, “2014” — they’re all dressed and prepped as Hamlet, Iago, Lady Mac Beth, with a few lesser roles for comic relief. In any case, it sure looks like it’s going to be a super-tragedy to me.

So what’s in store for 2014 ? Right now, I see this as Eaton’s plan going forward, “Every time I put my line in the water I [say] a Hail Mary, and every time I [say] a Hail Mary I [catch] a fish...” And Marty would surely be content responding, “Great, Craig, get into the boat — one of my guys will row you out....” However, since it’s 2014 and it’s Marty who is running for re-election, I think Craig might get to make this last riposte, “No, no ! Why don’t you go fishing instead ? Russell, why don’t you row our friend here out to where the fishes are. By the way, I’m completely neutral as to what happens in the boat, guys.”

Monday, December 30, 2013

After early media reports that hundreds of youths trashed Kings Plaza — with video of the event — police say there were no arrests, no robberies and no riot — and now it looks like “No news is good news” seems to be the official policy

So why were the NYC Police patrolling Kings Plaza afterwards ?

Something isn’t adding up here. The Eleven O’clock news on Thursday night described and showed video of a riot at one of Brooklyn’s biggest and most recognized commercial venues, Kings Plaza Mall (See “Flash Mob Of Teens Causes Disturbance At Brooklyn’s Kings Plaza Mall – New Policy: Anyone Under 18 Banned, Unless Accompanied By An Adult” by CBS News Reporters, 12/27/13, CBS New York [http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/12/27/mob-of-teens-cause-disturbance-at-kings-plaza-mall/]). The next day in the Friday editions, there were lurid reports in the New York Post and the New York Daily News of 300-400 people having been called to the scene of the melee by messages put up on social media (See “Hundreds of teens trash mall in wild flash mob” by Kevin Sheehan, Natasha Velez & Natalie O'Neill, 12/27/13, NY Post
[http://nypost.com/2013/12/27/hundreds-of-teens-trash-mall-in-wild-flash-mob/]; “VIDEO: Facebook post to put Kings Plaza Mall 'on tilt' incites flash mob, fighting at Brooklyn shopping center – A mob of about 300 kids starting fighting, yelling and running wild in the Mill Basin shopping center Friday, cops said, prompting an increased police presence” by Joey Scarborough, TomTracy, Rocco Parascandola & Corinne Lestch, 12/27/13, NY Daily News
[http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/video-teens-brawl-kings-plaza-mall-brooklyn-article-1.1559582]).

Since Friday, nothing new to report and there has been a virtual news blackout and no followup coverage; even though there is a sort of lockdown in place with heavy police presence in and around the mall .

This follows an apparent pattern of minimizing the event by the NYPD and others that began almost immediately following the events of last Thursday. CBS 2's Tony Aiello reported on Friday that the 63rd Precinct Community Affairs office, denied that there was any riot, and asserted that there were no arrests, injuries, or significant damage. That was reiterated by the official line out of 1 PPL — “Despite online evidence of the mall melee, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said no one filed a complaint about being assaulted or robbed. *** Deputy Chief Kim Royster said cops were called about 9 p.m. Thursday to disperse the crowd of rascals, who caused more of a ruckus than a crime. *** ‘They weren’t stealing anything,’ said the NYPD spokeswoman. ‘They weren’t assaulting anyone. They were going through the mall, making loud noises. Some were fighting with each other’.”

That’s not what the initial on the scene reports from the News, Post and CBS News clearly indicated.

It looks like the NYC version of George Orwell’s Ministry of Truth has decided to “Memory Hole” this story ASAP. It’s a very bad story to hit during the 11th hour of the Bloomberg Administration and the closing days of the regime of PC Ray Kelly; and it’s also bad for business in Kings Plaza and the surrounding areas of Mill Basin and Marine Park.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Ump-teenth re-election of his party’s vice chairperson as president of the Dyker Heights Civic Association shows Kassar’s view of “...Democracy in action.”

Kassar also preens about “...Colleen and Marty Golden’s Christmas Party...”

Jerry Kassar’s Christmas Week column in the Home Reporter opened with this: “Congratulations to Fran Vella-Marrone who was re-elected president of the Dyker Heights Civic Association .... I was the president in 1988 and 1989. In 1992, Fran was elected president and has been ever since....” (See “Common Sense: Democracy in action” by Jerry Kassar, 12/23/13, Home Reporter/Sunset News [http://www.homereporternews.com/news/opinion/common-sense-democracy-in-action/article_2dd4989e-6c34-11e3-a2e9-0019bb2963f4.html]).

Who else thinks that the "president for life" formula is the most perfect form of democracy ? That's right, people like Daniel Ortega, Hugo Chavez, Hafez al-Assad and Bashar al-Assad, Fidel and Raoul Castro, Vladimir Putin, and generations of North Korean leaders with "IL" somewhere in their names. What more needs to be said about Kassar's notions about the democratic ideal ?

Oh, yes — on another, though closely related point, Kassar just had to mention the very successful politically-oriented Christmas Party that was thrown by Marty Golden at the home of his family business, The Bay Ridge Manor.

______________________

For the uninitiated: Jerry Kassar is State Senator Martin Golden’s Chief of Staff and is the Chairman of the Kings County Conservative Party; Fran Vella-Marrone is the Vice-chairperson of the Kings County Conservative Party; both the (‘non-partisan”) Dyker Heights Civic Association and the Bay Ridge Manor (a private business) regularly function as subsidiary PR arms of the Marty Golden political machine in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights.

Friday, December 27, 2013

NY Times reports — New York Soon to Trail Florida in Population, and It Might Have Done So AlreadyLong term trend reflects economic depression upstate — NYC remains an exception

New York, which long ago had ceded its number one position in population to California, will soon fall behind Florida into fourth place, a long-anticipated drop that is rife with symbolism and that is also likely to carry potentially serious economic consequences in coming years (See “New York Soon to Trail Florida in Population” by Jesse McKinley, 12/26/13, New York Times [http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/27/nyregion/new-york-soon-to-trail-florida-in-population.html?ref=nyregion&_r=0]).

Don’t expect New York State to turn any of this around anytime soon — certainly not with the current leadership team in Albany.

According to the Times article by Jesse McKinley, a large part of Florida’s appeal, especially as compared to New York State has to do with its pro-business, low tax approach, and Florida also has no personal income tax. “While demographers tend to stay neutral on the issue of population growth, they say that bigger is generally better because it tends to reflect an attractive economic climate. *** ‘Once you have a growing economy, you tend to attract a lot of young people,’ said Mark Mather, a demographer with the Population Reference Bureau, a nonprofit research group in Washington.... *** New York City certainly still attracts young people, Mr. Mather said, ‘but the city is different from the state’.”

Let’s see how New York City fairs after at least four years of Bill De Blasio as mayor.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Does Russ Gallo’s new blog show that he, himself, doesn’t want to be the primary candidate against State Senator Golden ?

How objective and reliable can any candidate’s own muck raking blog against his opponent be ?

Yesterday, I noted that there was what appeared to be a snarky new political blog by the Kings County Republican Party Secretary Russell Gallo, who has been a key player in the GOP blog wars over the last few years; and that the new blog is called "THE GOLDEN WATCHER" [http://thegoldenwatcher.blogspot.com/] (See Comment: “UPDATE: THE ‘THE MORE - THE MERRIER’ EDITION” by Galewyn Massey, 12/25/13 at 8:48 AM to Friday, December 20, 2013 post “WHAM ! GALLO MAKES ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRIMARY AGAINST GOLDEN” below on this blog).

The question arises — does this new venture tip Russ Gallo’s hand that he actually does not intend to pursue a Republican primary against State Senator Martin Golden as a candidate in his own right ?

Without any reference to his own possible candidacy, I have commented directly to Mr. Gallo that a stand alone vehicle like “The Golden Watcher” blog is an excellent tool to expose, delve into and critique State Senator Martin Golden; and if it’s done well, it could very well become something with real cred among other political bloggers and the press. The idea of a blog like "THE GOLDEN WATCHER" with its announced subject specialty “...what Marty doesn’t want you to see...” is both appropriate and timely on the eve of the 2014 election year for a Republican activist opposed to, or at very least quite critical of, the incumbent Brooklyn GOP state senator. According to Gallo’s own words, his new blog, “The Golden Watcher,” is intended to publish “... a true account of [Golden’s] record... for both his constituents and possible opponents...”

I suggest to you that such a remark strongly mitigates against any notion that Gallo will be contemporaneously a candidate for the same position as the one instantly held by Golden. Running an internet enterprise properly — both as a news source and as propaganda tool — requires a detachment that an active candidate for the same office as Golden’s patently would not possess.

What’s more, if Gallo does intend to pursue his own candidacy for the 22nd S.D., "THE GOLDEN WATCHER" would put somebody like Gallo more completely into his own media box than he has ever been with his prior blogging and other internet media exploits.. Nonetheless, all that has transpired indicates that being a media hound is a persona with which Gallo has been comfortable, both for launching his attacks and defending his own positions.

Here' a recent release from one of the factions -- Very Nice ! Very Nice !

This month, the Brooklyn Republican Party and the Brooklyn Young Republicans ran two joint holiday drives – a toy drive to benefit the children of Soldiers in the NY National Guard and a food drive for families in need for the Basilica of Regis Pacis in Brooklyn.

Throughout December, the Brooklyn Young Republicans have done double duty collecting non-perishable food for families in need and conducting a toy drive at the same time. “The response to both of our drives has been fantastic,” said Diana Sepulveda, President of the Brooklyn Young Republicans. “Both drives exceeded my expectations.”

This past week, Diana Sepulveda delivered toys to the children of Soldiers of the NY National Guard 1-258thField Artillery Unit as part of the Brooklyn Young Republicans’ joint toy drive with the Brooklyn Republican Party. This week, Diana Sepulveda will be dropping off the non-perishable food collected at Regina Pacis.

“Delivering those toys to so many smiling faces was a thrill I will never forget”, said Sepulveda. “This is the season of giving, and I am glad to be able to bring some joy to those who need a little happiness this time of year.”

Brooklyn Republican Chair Craig Eaton was happy to support these initiatives. “Diana is a true leader of our younger generation of Republicans, who have genuinely shown that they care about their community. I am happy to support them in all they do.”

Monday, December 23, 2013

As predicted here, the NY POST and the Moreland Commission has tied “... cans to the tails of a few politicos very near and dear to [Conservative Party Chairman] Kassar himself....” — Both State Senators Martin Golden and Simcha Felder tied to an emerging scandal that was uncovered by Moreland Commission and is being referred to NY State and Federal prosecutors

Not quite two weeks ago, I mentioned the following at the end of a post about Jerry Kassar: “...And now for something completely different.... Instead of bridge tolls that neither he nor his boss can seem to do anything about, Kassar needs to get on top of the growing local scandal involving the Boro Park non-profit group, Relief Resources.... The NY Post has done a pair of reports that the Moreland Commission is looking into that local group and a couple of others that share its address. Before it’s all over, the Moreland Commission will probably tie those cans to the tails of a few politicos very near and dear to Kassar himself....” (See “Jerry Kassar can’t be taken seriously as a commentator — Or can he ?” posted by Galwyn Massey below at 12/11/13 [http://galewynmassey.blogspot.com/2013/12/jerry-kassar-cant-be-taken-seriously-as.html#comment-form]). Two astute comment makers to that post seemed to zero in on things even a bit more: “Anonymous December 11, 2013 at 6:57 AM – Do any of those ‘... politicos very near and dear to Kassar himself’ include the man Jerry Kassar works for, State Senator Golden?” ; and “Anonymous December 12, 2013 at 6:58 AM – #1 on the list Simcha Felder: Democrat State Senator that lines up with Republican Senate Leader Dean Skelos, also endorsed by Kassar's Brooklyn Conservative Party, funded Relief Services while on the City Council.”

Now the NY Post is reporting that both State Senator Martin Golden (R-C-I) and Simcha Felder (D-C-I) do have connections to the Boro Park charity that is being probed by the Moreland Commission for corruption (See “2 probes against ‘charity’” by Carl Campanile, 12/23/13, NY Post/Metro [http://nypost.com/2013/12/23/2-probes-against-charity/]). According to the report in the Post, “A Brooklyn not-for-profit group with ties to powerful New York politicians is now the subject of two separate criminal probes, The Post has learned.. *** Gov. Cuomo’s commission to combat public corruption referred its investigative findings about Relief Resources Inc. — a Borough Park-based storefront charity that took in nearly $3 million in legislative grants but did not seem to provide many services — to US Eastern District Attorney Loretta Lynch and state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for potential prosecution, sources close to the commission said.... *** ...Relief Resources, which supposedly provides mental-health services, was co-founded by powerhouse rabbi, lobbyist and charity chieftain Shiya Ostreicher, who has a hand in four other groups, including two with the same storefront address as Relief Resources: 5904 13th Ave. *** The group has received legislative grants from two heads of the state Senate — $250,000 from ex-GOP Majority Leader Joe Bruno and $300,000 from former Democratic leader Malcolm Smith, as well as backing from Brooklyn lawmakers Martin Golden and Simcha Felder....”

It certainly doesn’t do the Kings County Conservative Chairman Jerry Kassar’s principal NY Senate wards and endorsees in Brooklyn, Golden and Felder, any good to have their names so prominently mentioned in an article that closes with this: “‘The Moreland Commission is aggressively moving forward with its investigations to carry out its mission of rooting out public corruption,’ said Moreland Commission spokeswoman Michelle Duffy.”

One is also struck by the Karma that is so manifest in this emerging “scandal” — 2013 opened with State Senator Golden’s unfairly trying to tie a scandal involving State Senator Malcolm Smith to GOP County Leader Craig Eaton; and the year 2013 closes with the NY Post tying Golden himself to a completely different scandal possibly involving Malcolm Smith.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Russell Gallo calls for Republican Party Primary against State Senator Martin Golden on Brooklyn GOP [Blog] Radio Program

Gallo says he is strongly considering a race in 2014 and suggests that he expects to run against Golden himself — BUT — specifically, Gallo mentioned that anybody who thinks they can run a stronger Republican primary race against Golden with their own substantial resources should contact Brooklyn GOP Radio — and then Gallo and Company might add their own significant resources to that effort instead

Last night on a Brooklyn GOP Radio program that featured Lt .Col. Steve Russell, the man who led the raid that captured Saddam Hussein; Russell Gallo, a U.S. Army Sergeant who once served along side Colonel Russel’s unit, announced that there would be a GOP primary against State Senator Martin Golden in 2014 ( See “Lt. Col. Steve Russell & The 10th Anniversary That ‘We Got Him!’.” Brooklyn GOP [Blog] Radio [http://www.blogtalkradio.com/brooklyngopradio/2013/12/20/lt-col-steve-russell-the-10th-anniversary-that-we-got-him]).

Rather than go through Russell Gallo’s oral brief against State Senator Martin Golden ( R-C-I ), something that Gallo promised would be well publicized throughout the 22nd State Senate District in due course, I’ll try to interpret what Mr. Gallo did and didn’t say at the very end of last night’s show.

With less than five minutes left in the program, Gallo pressed co-host Gene Berardelli to get things “back local.” I expected that there was going to be more chatter about the multiple GOP holiday parties, but instead Russ Gallo launched into an impassioned speech about how important Republican primaries are in keeping GOP candidates really “conservative with a small ‘c’.” Initially, it almost sounded like Gallo was talking up a Republican primary against Michael Grimm, something that Gallo has mentioned to me many times lately, and maybe Gallo did indicate a little leaning in that direction again last night. However, Gallo executed a clean pivot and turned his full frontal assault onto the sole Brooklyn-only elected Republican Marty Golden. Gallo clearly stated that he was strongly considering getting into a primary fight against Golden.

One thing alone is holding Gallo back, that there might be another strong conservative Republican out there who can bring his or her own additional personal resources of funds and /or manpower into the race against Golden. If such a candidate were to come forward, Gallo indicated that he might well join forces and support such a run; and anybody that might be so inclined should contact Gallo through the Brooklyn GOP Radio – Official Blog.

Although last night’s public announcement had not been talked about as recently as the Brooklyn GOP Holiday Party and the YRs’ after-party on Wednesday night, many of the same topics had been brought up by Gallo with various others at those gatherings – so the content of Gallo’s announcement was no surprise. Only his timing, venue, and his call for all similarly-interested “candidates” to come forward added a bit of the new and unknown into the mix.

GOP "Party Secretary" Russell Gallo chats up local columnist about his own prospects in 2014

About a hundred folks enjoyed dancing to music from a DJ, plentiful hot food, and beverages such as wine and soda in the main meeting room of the Brooklyn Bar Association on Remsen Street not far from Saint Francis College. It was all compliments of Craig Eaton and the Kings County Republican Party, along with another one of those "un-secret Santas" -- John Catsimatidis.

There was plenty of political gossip; and local reporter Will Bredderman was very interested about the comings and goings of the likes of E. O'brien-Murray and Rob Ryan; and he noted the enthusiastic greetings and applause from the crowd to the introductions of Mr. & Mrs. Catsimatidis and local candidates like Bob Capano and Russell Gallo. Once or twice during the evening, Gallo and Bredderman were deep in conversation with Gallo coyly saying that he was very interested in going all-out for a big race in 2014 and that he would probably be the only one willing to do that going forward.

For those seeking comparisons, there were about three to four times as many guests at the function thrown Monday night at the Bay Ridge Manor. Nonetheless, the Eaton-Catsimatidis party didn't need to take any backseat to the earlier scheduled function when it came to the fun being had by its guests. At one point, there were almost fifty people on a conga line dancing around and trying to Shanghai the less Terpsichorean-oriented politicos who were apparently more deeply involved in political gossip on the edges of the dance area. The dance floor seemed to grow as the conga line grew and the non-dancers retreated from the all-assimilating, pulsating python that included such dancing fools as Russell Gallo, Gene Berardelli and Tom McCarthy, and far too many women of all ages and descriptions to mention by name (even if I did know more than a few of them). There were one or two couples that did the older style ballroom steps, bunches of women that tried some line dances and more than a handful of pairs doing Latin style dances that looked and sounded like Salsa and Merengue. One or two couples even looked like they could have scored high with Carrie-Ann or Bruno -- and possibly even "A 'Ten' from Len !" There were about fifty still in the room and others outside in the hall and around the building when the DJ announced the last dance. Things continued apace for another fifteen or twenty minutes until somebody flashed the lights some time after 9:30 to signal about thirty stalwart revelers that the party was over.

With that, some lifts home were arranged in the hall and out in front of the Bar Association, and about a dozen YRs went off to continue to party a few blocks away at O'Keefe's on Court Street. Others came and went there; and about eight or nine remained at the Court Street bar after 11:15.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Call him “Mr. Holiday Marty” — Doing the Meet and Greet big time, up front and in your face — As gregarious as a young Santa Claus might be if he were running an open house at the North Pole; or even more like Bing Crosby doing his Christmas gig at the original “Holiday Inn”

The people were packed in early at the Bay Ridge Manor last night, and they just kept coming. Marty had put out the word – this is a holiday festivity that you don’t want to miss – and most of the key people didn’t. The State Senator with the family in the party business pulled out all the stops (except for the absence of live music – but there really was no room for a band or even a pro DJ) and made it worth while for everybody. The food was good, varied and plentiful — abundanza ! — with plenty of adult beverages from a fully-stocked and well-manned bar.

The large crowd was a mix of politicos, business people and just plain folks; with an odd smattering of Biker-veterans in their leathers and many of the “favored” and at least one of the “fired” from the BOE. The crowd even showed some of the ethnic diversity of the State Senator’s district as well as Brooklyn as a whole. Everybody was happy and happy to be there.

Marty Golden was in his element. Make no mistake; candidate for re-election Marty Golden was putting down a 2014 marker with his 2013 holiday party — “Go ahead, guys, try and match this.”

Sunday, December 15, 2013

GOP luminaries Joe Lhota, John Burnett and State Senator Martin Golden lent their flash and dazzle to the BYRC holiday gathering at the Ceol Irish Pub

Earlier today, Glenn Nocera hit an inside the park home run hosting a very festive crowd of young and near-young Republicans at the normal meeting place of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club on Smith Street in Downtown Brooklyn The right mix of seasonal and political messaging was delivered by Nocera, Joe Lhota and Marty Golden at the opening of festivities. A while later, the Brooklyn BOE Commissioner Simon Shamoun and Frankie Russo of the Brooklyn Tea Party each came in and did their seasonal greetings and exchange of well-wishes. Later still in the waning afternoon, the spirit of fellowship and good cheer overflowed recent intra-party boundaries when a pretty large contingent of the traditionally rival “Official” Brooklyn YRs came by to join in the festivities of their senior or “Original” youngish GOP brethren.

At various times there were knots of Young Republicans of various stripes looking like a joint gathering of the Star Belly and Plain Belly Sneetches at play; with the likes of Jonathan Judge, Russell Gallo, Diane Sepulveda, Gene Berardelli and Glenn Nocera all posing for snapshots by a hand-full of amateur paparazzi. There were even blogsters like myself and Gatemouth on hand to observe the Sadie Hawkins-like celebration of the solstice, where at least for a few moments the roundup of Republican weird sisters and libertarian odd couples didn’t seem so very odd at all.

On the political front, most in attendance acknowledged the comradeship and apparent unity seemed to work far better than much of this year’s open hostility. However, a post-party rump debate between several late hangers-on showed that a lot of the 2013 Brooklyn GOP history is still too fresh in everybody’s memory or consciousness to be easily forgotten, but the competing sides in the friendly chin-wag seemed gratified that the mutual grievances could be aired without serious rancor or animus among the participants.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

State Senator Martin Golden and the New York State Senate Republican Leadership and Caucus were necessary participants in the rush to pass the badly drafted and over-reaching anti-gun law called the NYS S.A.F.E. Act — the ONLY law of its kind passed since the Sandy Hook School tragedy a year ago in Newtown, Connecticut

It was a “common sense” law, which was so bad that it instantaneously made criminals out of most of the police officers and many of the lawful gun owners in New York State; and it required IMMEDIATE REMEDIAL LEGISLATION to keep from making most of the police officers in the State of New York lawbreakers. “.... Details... mere details” !

What is Governor Cuomo saying about it now ? Well, take a look:

“.... Here in New York, we passed the NY SAFE Act, comprised of common sense reforms to keep guns out of the hands of the dangerously mentally ill, ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, and raise the penalty for killing a first responder on duty. *** New York is proud to be home to some of the strongest gun laws in the nation. There is no better way to honor the memories of those we lost at Newtown than to make sure they did not die in vain and work together to pass long overdue gun laws to make this whole country safer. *** As Washington D.C. remains at a standstill on this issue, I urge our representatives in Congress to reach across the aisle and act now because we cannot have another tragedy like Sandy Hook....” (See “Cuomo Touts SAFE Act In Newtown Remembrance” by Liz Benjamin, 12/14/13, YNN State of Politics [http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2013/12/cuomo-touts-safe-act-in-newtown-remembrance/]).

Don’t you especially love this part ? >>> “.... There is no better way to honor the memories of those we lost at Newtown than to make sure they did not die in vain and work together to pass long overdue gun laws to make this whole country safer....” <<<

How is it that NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo feels so comfortable saying things like “.... those we lost at Newtown...” ? It was allegedly perpetrated by someone with mental health problems and personal connections to the local school, none of the victims were citizens of Cuomo’s state; and the state government that was actually involved didn’t see fit to “honor their memory” in the same way — nor did any other state, not even Colorado — nor did the government of the United States. On the other hand, like Obama and revolutionary-style Democrats everywhere, NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo didn’t want to let a “crisis” go to waste, even it if involved a town and a state for which Cuomo had no responsibility and over which Cuomo had no authority. No matter, Cuomo “needed” and “wanted” a NYS S.A.F.E. Act for his national ambitions.

Obviously, people like State Senator Martin Golden (R-C-I) thought that Cuomo’s sentiments and ambitions were reason enough to have created instantaneously tens of thousands of new criminals in New York State — including many police officers, other law enforcement officials and first responders, and veterans and retired law enforcement officers.

In less that a year, Cuomo is using Golden’s vote in favor of the NYS S.A.F.E. Act early in 2013 to advance his national anti-gun agenda late in 2013 and going forward — to pass a national version of the S.A.F.E. Act.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Special Guests Expected: Former New York City Republican Mayoral Candidate Joe Lhota and Former New York City Comptroller Candidate John Burnett

The Brooklyn Young Republican Club ( BYRC) Party is free to all members and friends of the club. Food (Kosher food upon request only) and Two Drink Tickets for use at the Ceol bar for beer or wine will be provided for all members and new members who join the BYRC at party!

BYRC President Glenn Nocera has also arranged for a special singing guest to entertain at the party.

YAWN !!! STRETCH.... YAWN SOME MORE !!!NO, THIS IS MOMENTOUS — According to a press release fresh off today’s wire, Brooklyn State Senator Martin J. Golden (R-C-I), a member of the New York State Regional Economic Development Council for the City of New York, issued a statement today following the announcement of grants awarded to support key initiatives in Southwest BrooklynSTRETCH.... YAWN !!! STRETCH SOME MORE....

Here’s Marty Golden in his own words ( or somebody on his staff trying very hard to sound like him): “As a member of the Regional Economic Development Council for the City of New York, I commend New York State’s investment in Kings County (sic). Today, we are furthering efforts to create a more business and environmentally friendly community for people to live, work and raise a family (yeah, let’s give that a “sic” too).... Across the board, these grants will go a long way in supporting projects for the arts, education and for our natural resources (yep, sic again). We must continue to develop Brooklyn, and New York City, so to put more people to work and keep our economy growing (just too much sicness in one place). I look forward to further opportunities in 2014 to build upon these accomplishments ( OMG, I think I’m beginning to feel sic)....”

( Oh dear, oh dear ! Where to begin, where to begin ! No, wait, let’s go on and show what Golden or the Golden staff member actually is talking about. )

These are the projects in Southwest Brooklyn which were highlighted by Golden or some member of his staff as having been included in the Round Three funding of the Regional Economic Development Council Program ( See “Golden: New York State Regional Economic Development Council Awards Grants to Support Brooklyn Projects” posted by Martin J. Golden, 12/12/13, New York State Senator Martin Golden’s webpage [http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/golden-new-york-state-regional-economic-development-council-awards-grants-support-broo]; oddly, the identical material was attributed to John Quaglione www.nysenate.gov on the blog, Open States [http://openstates.org/ny/legislators/NYL000019/]):

Seriously, unless my math is wrong, that’s just over a million bucks.... That would hardly seem to be enough to rate this shout out from our Brooklyn Republican State Senator or some member of his staff: “Across the board, these grants will go a long way in supporting projects for the arts, education and for our natural resources.” Seriously — “... a long way in supporting projects for the arts, education and for our natural resources...” !

What’s more important — SHOW OF HANDS — Does anybody know somebody in Golden’s district directly benefiting from any of these grants ?

Once again — SHOW OF HANDS — Who thinks this is real Democrat-style boondoggling and that it all really rates the title >>> “A GOLDEN FLEECE ” ?

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

For years, Jerry Kassar has posed as a serious "conservative" commentator for a local paper in the Bay Ridge corner of Brooklyn — How does he get away with that ?Kassar’s December 10th column “Common Sense: Let’s be fare” is completely dishonest and basically unfair

When Jerry Kassar is lost in the woods with nothing really good to say about his boss State Senator Martin Golden or his pet party, the NYS Conservative Party, he often resorts to a roundup of the routine suspects or lashes out with some heavy corporal beating on some widely recognized whipping boy. In this instance, the Port Authority emerged as both a routine suspect and the widely recognized whipping boy (See “Common Sense: Let’s be fare” by Jerry Kassar, 12/10/13, Home Reporter/ Spectator [http://www.homereporternews.com/news/opinion/common-sense-let-s-be-fare/article_dd78b62c-61e4-11e3-bb79-0019bb2963f4.html]).

Instead of insightful commentary, Kassar seems more like a coyote baying at the moon when he complains, “The recent toll increase on the Port Authority Bridges -- locally the Goethals, Outerbridge and Bayonne – is an absolute disgrace. *** These pre-programmed increases, which will continue at a regular pace for years to come, are no better than tax increases. They long ago surpassed the point of affecting business and residents who need to take the additional cost into account before deciding where to shop, or even locate....”

Buried in the text of Kassar’s column is this completely indefensible bit of puffery: “Locally State Senator Golden, whom I serve as chief of staff, Assemblymember Malliotakis and Congressmember Grimm, as well as most legislators have been very vocal in opposing these increases. *** They have spoken out, written, rallied and at least in the case of Malliotakis, sued the agencies....” Even if some part of that were true, it would be a testament to the complete and pathetic ineffectiveness of the named officials to exercise any political might or will on the issue of the objectionable tolls. Kassar then resorts to complete dissembling when he continues, “...They [Golden, Grimm and Malliotakis] probably deserve a share of credit for things not being even worse...”

How could things be worse ? As things stand the tolls are astronomical and are scheduled to go even higher. Everybody knows that toll increases like the ones Kassar is harping about are damaging our local economy, as a whole, and hurting lots of real people in Brooklyn and Staten Island, with plenty of spillover into parts of New Jersey. Clearly, hurting the real people and economy of Brooklyn and Staten Island is something for which Kassar doesn’t want Grimm, Golden and Malliotakis to be held responsible; unfortunately, they are just as responsible as the governors of New York and New Jersey.

Kassar also made some vacuous remarks about the upcoming race for governor in 2014. What he didn’t talk about is how the activities of his NYS Conservative Party have made it almost impossible for the Republican Party to put forward a competitive candidate for that office for quite some time.

And now for something completely different.... Instead of bridge tolls that neither he nor his boss can seem to do anything about, Kassar needs to get on top of the growing local scandal involving the Boro Park non-profit group, Relief Resources.... The NY Post has done a pair of reports that the Moreland Commission is looking into that local group and a couple of others that share its address. Before it’s all over, the Moreland Commission will probably tie those cans to the tails of a few politicos very near and dear to Kassar himself.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

There are three prominent Black Americans in the opening sequence of Showtime’s “Homeland” Series: One is the first Black President of the United States – Barack Hussein Obama; another could have been the first Black President of the United States – Secretary of State Colin Powell; the third is Louis “Louie” ArmstrongIt is the presence of Louie Armstrong in the opening sequence of Homeland that is the most problematic; yet, it might well be a key to unlocking the meaning of the series.

Obama and Powell belong in the opening because they are part of the presidential sequence, with Powell doing a partial stand-in for George W. Bush. That hardly explains Armstrong’s presence... He is neither presidential nor a personal clip of the characters in the show. Inasmuch as Louis Armstrong died in 1971, he’s not in any way contemporary with Homeland or most of its characters. The only direct hook from the story line is that Cariie likes to listen to jazz to calm herself down, when she is just a little stressed... there’s also a picture of a young Carrie playing the trumpet among the opening shots....

The brief clip of Mr. Armstrong is probably from the same clip as “Louis Armstrong in Copenhagen (1933)-HD” on You Tube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZvqvNYJmC4] whose accompanying graphic oddly indicates that it was from a trip to Copenhagen that Armstrong made in “1934.”

The three songs on the nine-and-a-half minute clip are each descriptive of Homeland’s main character Carrie in three distinct ways: “I Cover the Waterfront” (whose intro is the clip in Homeland’s opening) demonstrates her smouldering and always expectant love for Brody; “Dinah (Is there anyone finer?)” refers to Carrie as the female superstar that enraptures not only Brody, Quinn and Sol, but also several of the main antagonists; and last, needless to say to those familiar with my stuff, my favorite “The Tiger Rag” or as Louie says it, “The Tiger Rag – THE Tiger Rag,” which symbolizes both the difficulty in keeping on the track of the tiger and the impossibility of controlling or holding the tiger once it has been tracked down. That certainly does beg the question, who or what is the "tiger" that Carrie, Sol,and/or any of the rest, seek or seek to hold.

Of course there could be some psychobabble about Armstrong’s jazz as a whole representing the manic improvisation of the bipolar Carrie. That’s where most of the analysts and critics of Homeland’s opening have gone with the Armstrong snippet, but just because everybody says it doesn’t make it so, does it ?

Monday, December 9, 2013

You might have missed what’s been going on in the “Joe Duffel Bag” - “Son of Sal” Serial Killing Case — Because it’s been chugging along on a local track in the Brooklyn CourtsSalvatore Perrone representing himself doesn’t understand why he isn’t getting the evidence he needs to prove his innocence

It’s been almost a year since, Salvatore Perrone, pleaded not guilty to three murders of a clothing store owner in Bay Ridge, a Bensonhurst and a clothes merchant in the Lefferts Gardens section of Flatbush. As we reported on this blog, most of that time was used up by some nasty sparring between the Acting Supreme Court Justice Alan Marrus, who is sitting on this case, and the accused. Some of that involved Salvatore Perrone’s dissatisfaction with his “appointed counsel” – a former disgraced Judge and disbarred attorney from the Bronx with a history connected to the Judge on the case; and the rest involving Perrone’s repeatedly frustrated attempts to get cellphone maps and other records, and MTA video surveillance tapes, all to prove his alibi. Ultimately, Marrus gave-in to Perrone by letting him represent himself, but not appointing substitute counsel, instead designating a legal “advisor.”

Almost from the outset, the judicial handling of this case has been neither efficient, nor fair or just. Clearly, Acting Justice Marrus’ obvious and often-expressed animus against Salvatore Perrone during the conduct of the early stages of the proceedings has put the Court’s handling of the case into serious question.

If you followed the early intense reporting on this case, especially from Thanksgiving through Christmas and the New Year last year, you’d probably remember that the press first referred to Sal Perrone as “Joe Duffel Bag,” because what looked like his image carrying a duffel bag had appeared on video surveillance tapes in the area of one of the killings; then later on as “Son of Sal,” because, Perrone was viewed by his neighbors as a sort of strange 64 year old semi-reclusive character who lived in the incompletely or bizarrely “renovated” house across the street from Clove Lake Park in Staten Island. After a very problematic couple of days in police custody, and a very odd pattern of evidence gathering, Perrone allegedly made incriminating statements and/or admitted to having killed and/or being involved in the killing of the three merchants while working for the CIA and/or the “Italian CIA.” According to some reports, on the night of the last cold-blooded killing, Mr. Perrone supposedly went dancing with friends at the Hughes Council Knights of Columbus in Dyker Heights – now, that really is cold, if Perrone actually did the evil deed with which he has been charged earlier that evening !

Many political people are apparently heavily invested in a “GUILTY” Salvatore Perrone, including politicos as diverse as: Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes, State Senators Martin Golden and Eric Adams (now Borough President Elect) and City Councilman Jumaane Williams; and that Perone did it all during a “spree” from August through November in 2012. Interestingly, even a second line local political personality was quoted in a recent hit piece on Sal Perrone, the Brooklyn Conservative Party Vice Chairperson, who is also the President of the Dyker Heights Civic Association, >>> Fran Vella-Marone <<< (See “John Doe Duffel Bag: A Killer in Bay Ridge” by Stephen Henderson, 10/29/13, The BrooklynInk
[http://thebrooklynink.com/2013/10/29/52912-john-doe-duffel-bag-a-killer-in-bay-ridge/]). In the BrooklynInk article by Stephen Henderson, Ms. Vella-Marone was identified only as the “chair of District 10’s Police and Public Safety Committee....”

Remember, Sal Perrone looks nothing like the suspect sought for the earliest killing in Bay Ridge in the summer of 2012. The police sketch posted all over that neighborhood and later in Bensonhurst definitely looks more like any clean-shaven younger African-American male than it does the mustached later middle-aged Italian-American Sal Perrone. Even after the last killing in Flatbush, there were at least two others in whom the police had greater interest for several days. The entire “Joe Duffel Bag” scenario and the “Son of Sal” buzz was generated after Perrone was in custody; and several days after the Flatbush killing, a duffel bag containing virtually all the physical evidence was recovered at the apartment of a Russian "girlfriend" of Perrone's in Flatbush apparently without a warrant.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Next to State Senator Martin Golden, Timothy Cochrane is the Brooklyn Republican affiliated with “Republicans for Change” most talked about by KCRP insidersIn the event that the suit against the Brooklyn GOP by a few individual Republican County Committee members fails, is there really any future for Tim Cochrane in Brooklyn Republican politics ? Of course there is....

As the readers of this blog should know, Timothy Cochrane was put forward by State Senator Martin Golden as the Republicans for Change candidate for Republican County Chairman at the 2013 County Convention. Prior to that, Mr. Cochrane had distributed a letter on his own behalf in support of his candidacy for GOP Chairman (but the postage was done in the name of the RFC). The mere mention of that letter continues to ruffle feathers among many mainstream Republicans to this very day. It is a matter of official record that Golden’s and Cochrane’s GOP County leadership balloon crashed and burned soon after its launch at the post-primary convention; and a currently-pending litigation to set aside the results of the 2013 Kings County Convention shows little likelihood of success. Where does all of that leave Cochrane in the Brooklyn GOP ?

Some lined up behind Kings County Republican Chairman Craig Eaton would simply wish and hope Cochrane into political nonexistence; others are preparing for his likely re-emergence. Be it on Brooklyn GOP Radio webcasts, or before and/or after KCRP executive meetings, Timothy Cochrane’s name is the one uttered more than any other possible “Republican for Change” candidate in 2014, save for State Senator Martin Golden himself.

There are lots of possibilities for Cochrane in 2014, but a run for the assembly in the 46th AD makes the most sense, both for Cochrane and his patrons Marty Golden and Jerry Kassar — especially if a threatened primary against Golden comes to pass. If he ran in the 46th, Tim Cochrane would be following in the footsteps of Tom McCarthy, who in 2012 ran with strong Golden support and cruised to a mammoth victory over the current GOP State Committeewoman in the 46th AD.

A Golden-Cochrane ticket in the parts of the 46th AD common to both candidates would be very strong in 2014. Furthermore, following such a run in 2014, Tim Cochrane would be in an excellent position to take our the current GOP State Committeeman Marcus A. Nussbaum in a 2015 GOP primary; and that would be a major take-away for the RFC. Many cracks in the Eaton-Ferrarro-Potter alliance in the 46th AD have appeared during the last few weeks; and the RFC Golden-Cochrane team need to exploit those fissures with the maximum and continuous pressure of Timothy Cochrane as the team’s local leader in the 46th AD, especially in the Bay Ridge and Dyker EDs.

If the Eaton crowd and its allies continue to threaten State Senator Golden with internal party fights in 2014, Timothy Cochrane’s future in the GOP would seem to be guaranteed.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

"The lights and sounds of what has made Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights such special communities each Christmas season are once again upon us." -- Kassar's words not mine

Here's the rub -- Kassar then goes on to describe just a few blocks in Dyker Heights

Jerry Kassar opened his Common Sense column this week with a shout out to the local spontaneous volunteer holiday home decorators that annually make a cottage industry of decorating their cottages in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights for Christmas. But for some reason, Jerry Kasar (sic -- as his name appeared in this week's Home Reporter online editon) did his attempted Saturnalian uplift very much on the downlow ( See ""Common Sense: 'Tis the season" by Jerry Kas[s]ar, 12/2/13, Home Reporter/ Spectator [http://www.homereporternews.com/opinion/common-sense-tis-the-season/article_bd330dc6-5b91-11e3-b21e-001a4bcf887a.html]). The only real praise from Kassar was showered on a few blocks in Dyker Heights not far from Jerry's own home.

I think I get it. For various ulterior motivations, Mr. Kassar wants us to focus on how good things still are and not upon how very much things have mostly gone down hill. If we were to look at the real tinsel and glitter around Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, and include the lower blocks of Bensonhurst and Bath Beach, the bitter-sweet nostalgia for a happier and brighter "Christmas Past" will be immediate. For every block that has the old time sparkle of " ... 'Tis the season..." there are many tens of blocks that have lost their luster completely. This is especially notable on each and every business avenue and strip in the areas mentioned above.

Interestingly, Kassar quickly tacked away from his opening theme about bright lights and decorations, and quickly switched to a message of supporting your local businessmen. That's an interesting turnabout, because it would seem that the biggest drop in holiday lumens and wattage throughout the neighborhood is mostly attributable to cutbacks by many of the merchants being touted by Kassar. It cannot be accidental that the only business mentioned by Jerry Kassar was >>> CENTURY <<< the biggest merchant and the biggest commercial strip landowner in the Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights area. It is also the anchor store for the biggest B.I.D. in State Senator Martin Golden's district.

I want to say only two more things about >>>CENTURY<<<: 1) their "holiday" decoration is minimalist and their holiday lighting virtually invisible compared to their own very bright red signs; and 2) they are significant contributors to Jerry Kassar's boss, State Senator Martin Golden ( something not mentioned in the infomercial part of Kassar's column).

Monday, December 2, 2013

Russell Gallo is the Secretary of the Kings County Republican Party and a long-time member of its Executive CommitteeGallo is a crusading Republican activist, who believes that one of the biggest things holding back the Republican Party from success in New York State and large swaths of Brooklyn is other Republicans who want to block the way forward

Russell Gallo is an independent, energetic and enthusiastic Republican. His well-decorated active duty service with the U.S. Army and ready status in the Army National Guard demonstrates his loyalty to the United States and his profound commitment to maintaining its preeminent position in the world. In addition, Mr. Gallo has been a long time civil servant in the City of New York where his duties and advancement have shown that he is an effective professional in a sphere of public service that combines homeland security, law enforcement and several other public safety functions. Clearly, he takes his citizenship and civic duty to the nation, the State of New York and his own local community quite seriously.

For Russell Gallo, his personal conservative Republicanism is no less as serious an undertaking as those parts of him that were mentioned above. Almost immediately upon his initial return from from the Iraqi front in the global counter-attack on the terrorists in their home territories, he has tirelessly worked inside the Brooklyn GOP to institute the kinds of reforms needed to make the Republican Party in Brooklyn an effective engine to help propel the NYC and NYS GOP -- first into competitiveness -- and then into the dominance that it last enjoyed in the 1970s. He now knows quite well, how long, hard and frustrating the pursuit of that special vocation can be; and yet, he remains dedicated to it.

Since becoming active in the Republican Party in Brooklyn, Russell Gallo has been elected as a GOP State Committee member and helped weld the GOP organization in the 47th AD in the Bensonhurst and Gravesend sections of Brooklyn into one of the most effective organizations in all of Brooklyn. Since the first election of Craig Eaton as Republican County Leader, Russell Gallo has worked as an effective and strong right arm in the body politic of the Brooklyn GOP. At the same time, he has pushed to have a more effective and streamlined party apparatus, that both encouraged independent initiatives and promoted worthwhile effort, while avoiding parochial agendas and petty selfishness by local party officials and other operators.

Gallo is no stranger to long and hard campaigns, having run for office a few times, because his party and democracy itself needed him to fill the line. So he selflessly stepped out over the years to fill in this breach or plug that hole in the ticket. He also volunteered his efforts for many campaigns on behalf of other candidates -- sometimes, when asked, even as manager. Several of those efforts were worthy and valient losses -- two were signal successes by Republican candidates running in Brooklyn, the special election wins of Congressman Bob Turner and State Senator David Storobin. As a party loyalist, Gallo also helped out on the campaigns of every GOP office holder in Brooklyn.

Recently, Gallo and several of his allies were essential in fighting off a challenge to the leadership of GOP County Chairman Craig Eaton. That attack was deceitfully launched by narrow and selfish elements inside the Brooklyn GOP; and Mr. Gallo sees it as his duty to step up and help to isolate those particular elements ASAP.

Since one doesn't kill a snake by severing its tail, Gallo is determined to eliminate the threat by a direct decapitation. If you're a reader of this blog, both the postings and the comments, you should know what Russell Gallo is now up to regarding the primary and election of 2014.

If you think Russell is the right man for the job, let him know. If you think you can help, even better, still let him know, ASAP.

btw, Russell Gallo didn't assist in this post; he didn't even know that it might be in the works. Thus, it is completely unauthorized; and any biographical or historical errors are strictly my own.

Friday, November 29, 2013

There is only one Kings County Republican Chairman at a time -- right now that Chairman is Craig Eaton

Eaton's job is to do his best to reunify the Brooklyn GOP in advance of the 2014 elections --- everybody who persists in interfering needs to be outed and then booted

Needless to say achieving party unity would necessitate disposing of all the distractions that are hanging over from the aborted coup engineered by the faction that liked to refer to itself as the "Republicans for Change"; although "Republicans 100% for the State Senate Coalition" would have been a more accurate appellation for that group. In particular, that means getting rid of the ill-conceived and even more poorly executed lawsuit that only serves to give vain hope to the hopeless dead-enders.

Once that has been dealt with, Eaton needs to tamp down any budding insurgencies within his ruling caucus, applying the simple hard logic that everybody who benefitted from the alliance that put Eaton back in charge needs to follow his lead and stand fully behind his attempts to re-unify the party. It doesn't matter whether the rambunctious ones are primarily interested in running against this or that incumbent, or are currently not satisfied with each and every modifier to the title of their party position.

There is one and only one relevant negotiation in the offing. The war with State Senator Golden has to end with terms clearly indicative that Eaton and his supporters won. That must include, but not be limited to the following items: the immediate resignation of Commissioner Simon Shamoun from his post at the BOE for reasons that are obvious; and the complete shakeup of State Senator Golden's staff to reflect the primacy of the Kings County Republican Party as the engine that elects Brooklyn's only Republican official.

Once that is accomplished, unity behind our 2014 Republican candidates will not only be possible, it will be a reality.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

I am thankful for Marty Golden, because he is very lucky, generally good humored, somewhat talented, occasionally generous and works pretty hard.

For the most part, he brings all that to his vocation as a public official; and we all get some benefit from it.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO MARTY GOLDEN, TO ALL BROOKLYN GOP ACTIVISTS, ESPECIALLY CHAIRMAN CRAIG EATON, AND TO EVERYBODY ELSE WHO GIVES A HOOT ABOUT THE BROOKLYN REPUBLICAN PARTY AND DOES ANYTHING POSITIVE ON ITS BEHALF IN ANY WAY

ON THIS THANKSGIVING, EVERYBODY OF WHATEVER POLITICAL STRIPE OR PLUMAGE, ENJOY YOUR LIVES AND YOUR SITUATIONS AS BEST YOU CAN, IT'S ALL THAT YOU HAVE FOR NOW

And always remember, living well is the best revenge --- and we should all be thankful for that as we endeavor to achieve it.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Over a Week and No Report or Comment from State Senator-Chairman Martin Golden about his participation in "massive" hearing about "an even greater threat than nuclear war"

"Host" State Senator-Chairman Joseph A. Griffo did post an item about the hearing after it was held -- but that release wasn't picked up by "Co-host" Golden

I'm sure that things weren't intended to turn out this way for Brooklyn Republican State Senator Martin Golden. He was going to get a trendy-sounding chairmanship of an arcane and very broadly defined "State Senate Select Committee on Science, Technology, Incubation & Entrepreneurship." From that point forward, I'm sure the plan was for it to be all lulus and bennies, and every inventor of a better mousetrap, computer app or online business beating a path to State Senator Golden's door (actually more important, that their lobbyists and representatives beat a path to Golden's fundraisers).

There has been a little bump in the road for our State Senator from Bay Ridge -- Golden has to actually do something in his new position. No, he has to come up with a little more than just "do something" to justify his added staff and budget. State Senator-Chairman Golden actually has to give an account of what he is doing as Chairman of the State Senate Select Committee on Science, Technology, Incubation & Entrepreneurship to show his constituents back home and the taxpayers of the State of New York that they are being well represented and getting their money's worth from their new "Chairman" and his new "Select Committee".

That's one of the reasons that I am harping on State Senator Golden's doing a little more about last week's "Public Hearing: Cybersecurity: Defending New York from cyber attacks" than posting an unannotated four and a half hour (4 1/2 hr) video of the hearing with my State Senator sitting out in left field at the end of the line of six state senator-chairmen.

I don't believe that any of the pre-hearing buildup of the hearings about cybersecurity and defending New York from cyber attacks was in any way hyperbolic or overheated. The threats are as real as any posed by terrorists or any other of our nation's and society's enemies. And, their targets can include anything from the water we drink and the food we eat to the sewage we expel, with everything that goes into paying for it, powering it and moving it along. That's why seeing these hearings pass without comment or even mention seems more than merely perfunctory indolent nonfeasance. It's beginning to look like this is becoming an incredible malfeasance of a necessary and profound duty.

Maybe, the goings on at the hearings on November 18th were too deep and complex for State Senator Golden to present to the public in a simple and understandable fashion -- that's why Golden has a staff -- to put stuff like that together in a simple and understandable fashion. Another participant in the hearings, State Senator Joseph A. Griffo issued a brief release about the hearings last week. Golden didn't even republish his own version of the same remarks. It's up to Golden or somebody high in his organization to whip the staff to do the job of making Marty Golden look like he's doing his job and not being guilty of a possible "incredible malfeasance of a necessary and profound duty."

Turnabout is fair play. I'll use Golden's words about Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig Eaton against the State Senator himself. If State Senator Golden isn't up to handling the duties of Chairman of the State Senate Select Committee on Science, Technology, Incubation & Entrepreneurship, then he needs to step down from that position.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

In what significant way would anything be different than its being NY State Senators Dean Skelos and Jeff Klein instead ?

Golden’s conference/caucus leader Dean Skelos says he alerted his members about the intended legal fight against the activities of the Moreland Commission addressing public corruption, conflicts of interest, and ethics in State Government that are in part aimed at the “employers of all legislators” that give more than $20,000 income to the legislators

***Marty Golden himself has indicated that he had been fully informed of Leaders Skelos’ and Klein’s, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s legal plans and maneuvers opposing the Moreland Commission’s actions weeks ago

According to Kenneth Lovett’s report in the Daily News, “Now it's Senate GOP Leader Dean Skelos alerting his members to the Moreland Commission goings on today. *** Skelos said the Legislature has worked to enact ethics reform and is open to "sensible" ideas moving forward. *** But he said the Legislature will fight Gov. Cuomo's anti-corruption commission for what he says is its attempts to pressure the lawmakers into a new ethics deal....” (See “NYS Senate GOP Leader Dean Skelos Says Legislature Won't Be Coerced Into Ethics Deal” by Kenneth Lovett, 11/22/13, Daily News/ Daily Politics [http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2013/11/nys-senate-gop-leader-dean-skelos-says-legislature-wont-be-coerced-into-ethics]).

On November 10th State Senator Martin Golden seemed fully briefed about the plans to fight the Moreland Commission subpoenas. He clearly stated that the Governor’s Commission’s overreach had united the members of both chambers, and that everybody was back behind Sheldon Silver after it looked like he had lost control on anything related to ethics issues.

A lawsuit was actually filed yesterday on behalf of the leaders of the New York State Assembly and Senate against the governor's commission, created via the Moreland Act, claiming that the commission is overstepping its authority by trying to get protected information from the lawmakers' clients and business associates in lawful “private businesses” (See “Document Drop: NY Pols V. Moreland Subpoenas” by Celeste Katz, 11/22/13, Daily News/ Daily Politics [http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2013/11/document-drop-ny-pols-v-moreland-subpoenas]).

What is clear is that the trio of leaders, Skelos, Klein and Silver aren’t carrying this lawsuit forward just for their own benefit. Its being done for every state senator and member of the assembly whose outside employers, clients and associates might be generating $20,000 or more in income for the effected New York State legislator (btw, can you say Bay Ridge Manor ?).

Senator Golden’s constituents should ask him if he completely supports his joint conference/caucus’ joint leadership and Shelley Silver in their lawsuit against the Moreland Commission; and if Golden does, the constituents should ask why he thinks that’s right. However, if by some chance State Senator Golden says that he does not support the Skelos-Klein-Silver lawsuit; then Golden's constituents should ask Golden if he isn't benefiting from it, and whether he’s doing anything to distance himself from it.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Where is Kassar’s commentary on the botched 2013 City-wide and County-wide elections ? — How about the embarrassing defeats by two members of Golden’s own staff endorsed by Kassar’s own Conservative Party, both of which ran in Senator Golden’s strongholds ? — Maybe a few words by Jerry about how State Senator Golden’s botched attempt to take over the Brooklyn GOP and install that toady to the Conservative Party, Timothy Cochrane, as Brooklyn GOP Chairman will all be put right by the Brooklyn Supreme Court ...

Cochrane chirps — Quaglione re-chirps like a nightingale — and on, and on.....

Meanwhile, Tim Cochrane was all atwitter about all the support shown for Marty Golden during his big night Wednesday night. Tim, that’s called whistling past the graveyard. And that whistling was picked up by JQ; and then again in at least three part harmony from the sound of it.... Just wait, guys, until the real "Three Dog Night" arrives — it's coming in 2014 — brrrrrrr ! Try whistling while your teeth are chattering....

There is proof that Marty Golden was there — he appears in published photos and videos — it’s mentioned by him on facebook and twitter

Suspicions are growing that the Republican-Conservative State Senator from Brooklyn might have been the victim of a cyber attack himself

Two days have passed since our State Senator was “co-host” of this “massive” event at the Griffis Institute in Rome, New York. The NY state senators were gathered there to hold hearings to discuss “a threat even greater than nuclear war”; and State Senator Golden was there in his capacity as Chairman of the New York State Senate Select Committee on Science, Technology, Incubation, and Entrepreneurship.

In spite of the momentous import of the event, there has been no press release or other communication from State Senator Golden or his staff about what happened at the hearings, or what State Senator Golden did or said while he was there. Furthermore, there has not been any explanation or excuse as to why neither State Senator Golden nor his staff has made an informative and timely report of these proceedings; it has been more than two days since the event.

If these matters have been “Classified” in any way, I apologize for this snarky post.

Paladino continues to back up his threats against the GOP with a renewed promise to align with Mike Long’s NYS Conservative Party in 2014 — IF THE GOP DOESN'T DO EXACTLY AS PALADINO SAYS

Former quirky GOP candidate lashes out at rumors that he might be getting more reasonable, as follows:

“On Friday I spoke with both Ken Lovett of the N.Y. Daily News and Rob Astorino and explained to each of them my current position on New York State Republican politics. This morning Ken Lovett wrote an article interpreted by the pretenders of the Republican establishment that I have weakened in my position. Not true.”

According to a report that appeared in the Albany Times Union, “The surprise Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2010, [Carl] Paladino in a widely distributed email pushes back against Ken Lovett’s Monday column suggesting that he’s feeling warmer about the idea of a 2014 run by Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. Paladino says this should not comfort anxious Republicans.” (See “Paladino: Bring me the heads of Skelos and Kolb” by Casey Seiler, 11/18/13, Times Union
[http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/199661/paladino-bring-me-the-heads-of-skelos-and-kolb/]).

Kicking off with an homage to Sam Peckinpah, TU’s Casey Seiler sees Carl Paladino’s most recent e-mailed conniptions like this: first. Paladino has restated his demands that there must be no RINO gubernatorial candidates put forward by the NYS GOP; and second that there must be the “...voluntary or forced resignation of previously identified RINO County Chairs like Vinny Reda, in Rockland County, as well as Dean Skelos as Majority Leader of the Senate and Brian Kolb as the Minority Leader of the Assembly....” The Seiler report further quoted Paladino’s screed, thus: “... Their neglect of the values of those who put them in office and failure to provide legitimate opposition to the State’s Democratic Party machine is unforgivable.... The coercion to leave office will come when Republican and Conservative State and County leaders call on their Republican Senators and Assemblymen to send Skelos and Kolb packing with the threat of denying endorsements if they don’t cooperate....”

In case anybody had forgotten his earlier threat, Paladino renewed it like this: “If they think I’m bluffing and are willing to risk the survival of the party, it only confirms their spineless hypocrisy. My ‘to go’ bag is packed.”

In the past, I’ve been a big fan of Carl Paladino. He had a directness that was refreshing. Lately, that has morphed into a Machiavellian ruthlessness that isn’t quite as charming. Since Seiler kicked things off with some Peckinpah, let me close with a little Brian De Palma number. Somebody in the New York GOP needs to take the baseball bat out of Carl Paladino’s hands and do a de Niro-Capone tattoo on Paladino’s head. Who knows! Then, maybe, he’ll be more likeable again.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The DA of Riverside, CA and the Court have closed the book on Dorner, should everybody else ?Press and other usual critics accept LAPD’s self-exoneration against charges contained in Dorner’s manifesto

About two weeks ago it was reported that “Riverside prosecutors have dismissed the criminal case against the former rogue LAPD police officer, Christopher Dorner, whose rampage across Southern California in February led to the deaths of four people, including two police officers and an Irvine couple, before a fiery shootout ended in Dorner’s fiery death ( See “Riverside DA dismisses criminal case against Christopher Dorner” by Doug Saunders, 11/4/13, The Sun [http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20131104/riverside-da-dismisses-criminal-case-against-christopher-dorner]).

According to the Saunders’ report in the San Bernadino Sun, “Dorner died near the San Bernardino Mountains community of Barton Flats after a fiery shootout with law enforcement [sometime after] Dorner was discovered holed up in an empty cabin, [and] San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies along with other law enforcement agencies surrounded it. The first two deputies on scene were ambushed when Dorner fired his high-caliber rifle, striking them both and killing one before they had an opportunity to even draw their weapons.... The firefight continued, and Dorner found himself surrounded by SWAT teams from all over Southern California. *** Officers fired hot tear-gas into the cabin trying to flush Dorner out when a single shot had rung out from inside the cabin. *** The firefight was over and the cabin was engulfed in flames. *** It took authorities two days after the firefight in the forest to confirm that the charred corpse in the burned-out cabin was Dorner. *** The coroner determined Dorner’s death was caused by a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.”

No matter that Dorner went out with a bang, the telling of the story seems to end with a whimper. No doubt, that’s because there is no adequate explanation of so many things that led up to Dorner’s death. The story of Christopher Dorner is so problematic, that many people have gone out of their way to be sure that the former police and naval officer remained dead and buried. One of the most notable such attempts to bury Dorner and his story was the Op Ed piece by Connie Rice in the LA Times that appeared several months after Dorner’s death (See “Christopher Dorner's web of lies about the LAPD” by Connie Rice, 6/26/13, LA Times/ Op Ed [http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/26/opinion/la-oe-rice-christopher-dorner-killing-spree-racism-20130626]). Clearly, somebody wanted to separate Dorner completely from any narrative about or history of LAPD racism. Ms. Rice pretty much dismisses Dorner’s complaints of racism against his former employer, the LAPD, because Dorner’s charges didn’t comport to her experience and vision of how such things normally transpired.

In his personal manifesto, Christoher Dorner had accused the LA police of discriminating against some of its officers based on race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation; and that there was retaliation against any of those officers who reported problems. Needless to say, the LAPD exonerated itself of Dorner’s charges. According to an article in the LA Daily News, posted on the Huff Post LA webpage, “In a report to the Police Commission, Police Chief Charlie Beck and Inspector General Alexander Bustamante said the department followed all the correct procedures in removing Dorner from the department in 2009 after he filed a false complaint against a training officer, accusing her of kicking a suspect who had been restrained. *** Beck had ordered the review after Dorner's manifesto, a 17-page document called ‘Last Resort,’ raised questions over the procedures used in his firing....” (See “Chris Dorner Firing Review Officially Complete, LAPD Defends Termination”
by Rick Orlov, 6/22/13, LA Daily News/ Huff Post LA [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/22/christopher-dorners-firi_n_3483056.html]).A similarly detailed article about the LAPD review appeared in the LA Times ( See “LAPD's firing of Christopher Dorner was justified, report says” by Joel Rubin, 6/21/13, LA Times [http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/21/local/la-me-dorner-20130622]).
In his LA Daily News article, Rick Orlov also reported that Gerald Chaleff, special assistant for constitutional policing to Chief Beck, made a report that detailed the problems Dorner experienced at the Police Academy and while on the force up to his dismissal, as follows: "After a review of all the evidence ... and the allegations of Christopher Dorner, it has been determined that terminating him from the department was not only appropriate, it was the only course the department could take based on the facts and the evidence.... The record is clear that Dorner fabricated allegations against his training officer, and later, against his peers and superiors..... The decision to terminate Dorner was sound and just. Dorner's documented proclivity to concoct allegations and evidence to advance his personal agenda support the conclusion that Dorner was rightfully terminated from the LAPD." Chaleff also noted that the LA Police Department has acknowledged past problems, including a code of silence, but that steps have been taken over the past decade to address these problems. Most recently, a federal judge lifted the consent decree over the LAPD, noting the gains that had been made in dealing with problem officers.

Unfortunately, all of the above reports and findings leave more questions unanswered than answered; and even those that have been answered are not answered with any high degree of credibility.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Dirty transition at the Brooklyn DA’s office — with talk of a Special Prosecutor's investigations — is a tar bucket for everybody involved — The Brooklyn GOP needs to be in the clear in order to move forwardThe Brooklyn GOP has to ask, "Will Hynes' Problems Become Dan Donovan's and rebound back on the GOP as a whole ? "

According to the New York Post, somebody in the Charles “Joe” Hynes brain trust thinks that Hynes, a short-timer in the Office of Kings County District Attorney, needs to prove he is no bigot; and that the sitting DA must to call on a special prosecutor to probe a recently dismissed ADA for allegedly forging an arguably racist or racially insensitive series e-mail messages exchanged between the Hynes and a the former Chief Judge of New York State, Sol Wachtler (See “Outgoing Brooklyn DA wants probe of ‘forged’ bigot e-mails” by Josh Saul, 11/18/13, NY Post - Metro [http://nypost.com/2013/11/18/outgoing-brooklyn-da-wants-probe-of-forged-bigot-e-mails/]).

The story in the Post is quite specific and states, as follows:. “Hynes’ office believes former Brooklyn prosecutor Barbara Burke cooked up an online message to the DA from former Judge Sol Wachtler that used a derogatory Yiddish word for a black person, “schwarze,” to refer to DA-elect Ken Thompson, law-enforcement sources said. *** When the e-mails were leaked to the Web site BuzzFeed before the election, they tarnished Hynes as racially insensitive for failing to object to the epithet against Thompson, who is black. *** But a probe of the e-mails by Hynes’ office has concluded that the letters were fabricated by Burke, sources told The Post.”

The Post story goes on to state that the investigation of former ADA Burke is just one sign of a troubled transition as Hynes leaves office. Burke was fired November 8th, allegedly for “poor evaluations”; however the very same Barbara Burke also had been suspected of speaking with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn about allegations that Hynes’ office acted unethically in its response to a $150 million wrongful-conviction suit. Speaking up in Burke’s defense, her lawyer, Mark Bederow, said the DA’s claiming his client is a forger is nothing but a “pathetic”
attempt to smear Ms. Burke.

Now here’s the partisan rub, and a field full of land-mines that GOP operatives need to head off, right away: “... Hynes’ office plans to ask that an outside prosecutor from Staten Island be appointed to further investigate the matter and possibly bring charges,” says the Post’s Josh Saul. The last time I looked, that would be Richmond County District Attorney Dan Donovan, the only Republican-Conservative DA in the City of New York. Unfortunately, everything that Hynes and Company are complaining about came up during and within-the-context-of Hynes’ 2013 Republican-Conservative campaign to hold onto his DA seat.

How much of this stuff needs to flow down hill into any part of the City-wide GOP ? In New York City, the GOP already has soiled itself so much in 2013, that it desperately needs to move on ASAP ? It doesn’t need any more connections with the soon to be former Brooklyn DA.

The same is also true of the Brooklyn GOP. As with so much of its 2013 campaign strategy that was far closer to being embarrassing than successful in 2013, the book has to be closed on all the disastrous 2013 campaigns — especially this hangover of the Hynes’ Republican-Conservative campaign. That will be best served with a clean break that leaves Hynes and his transition team to fend for themselves — and, if they think that investigations and prosecutions are in order, just leave anybody in the GOP out of all of that completely.

They need to tell the Staten Island DA Dan Donovan in no uncertain terms that involving himself in the Hynes’ mess inside the Brooklyn DA’s Office connected to the 2013 Republican-Conservative campaign will have the stench of impropriety attached to it. They need to ask him this question, “ Will Hynes’ Problems Become Dan Donovan's and rebound back on the GOP as a whole ? "

DID YOU KNOW THAT STATE SENATOR GOLDEN IS THE CHAIRMAN OF SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, INCUBATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP ? ( Stop laughing so hard, it happens to be true.)Golden will participate in a “Massive Cybersecurity Hearing” on Monday, November 18th

In case you missed it, State Senator Martin Golden (R-C-I, Brooklyn) was named chairman of a newly formed New York State Senate Select Committee on Science, Technology, Incubation, and Entrepreneurship on or about March 1, 2013.

The Senate Select Committee was set up to focus on “expanding the state’s entrepreneurial culture, by creating economic opportunities for New York State residents through incubators and economic development programs....” Senator Golden was awarded the chairmanship of the new select committee in recognition of his efforts to influence the creation of the “Bio-Bat at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, and for his interest and understanding of science, technological, and economic development issues facing New York State.” (See “Senator Golden Named Chair of Senate Select Subcommittee on Science, Technology, Incubation and Entreprenuership” posted by the staff of Martin J. Golden, 3/1/13, NY Senate Homepage – State Senator Martin J. Golden [http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senator-golden-named-chair-senate-select-committee-science-technology-incubation-and-e]).

A select committee is a committee with a special focus. Its job is to conduct meetings, conferences, examinations, and public hearings, and to gather information and make legislative proposals, reports, and recommendations. One of the reasons that State Senator Golden was chosen to head the Senate Select Committee on Science, Technology, Incubation, and Entrepreneurship was that “[h]e has had a long history in science, technological, and economic development issues facing New York State....” In the words of the resolution creating the select committee, its charge is to “provide outreach to and interaction with private and public organizations that provide incubation, innovation, and entrepreneurship programs, and, make recommendations on efforts to strengthen entrepreneurial and job creation including related legislative proposals and resolutions before the State Legislature in such areas, all with the aim of growing the spirit of enterprise and innovation in New York.”

Later today (Monday, November 18th, 2013), State Senator Golden’s Senate Select Committee on Science, Technology, Incubation, and Entrepreneurship is scheduled to participate along with six other state senate committees in a joint hearing to take testimony from experts in law enforcement, finance and computer science about the state’s preparedness against cyber-attacks. several other relevant State Senate committees in a “Public Hearing” on “Cybersecurity: Defending New York from cyber attacks” at The Griffiss Institute, 725 Daedalian Drive, Rome, New York Although Sen. Joseph A. Griffo, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee and is hosting the event, undoubtedly State Senator Golden will be one of the key contributors (See “NY Senate to Convene Massive Cybersecurity Hearing in Rome” posted by Martin J. Golden’s staff, 11/15/13 NY Senate Homepage – State Senator Martin J. Golden [http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/ny-senate-convene-massive-cybersecurity-hearing-rome]).

Concerning the cyber-security issue, Senator Martin Golden has said: "As the Chairman of the committee on Science, Technology, Incubation, and Entrepreneurship I know all to well that both individuals and corporations are seeing an increased risk of having their identity and financial information stolen online. Thousands of people each year suffer from cyber attacks, which can take months to repair the damage caused. We need to ensure that personal information is kept protected and we must look at ways to ensure that cyber security in New York stays ahead of those who wish to cause harm."

Since March, Golden’s select committee also appears to have participated in an “Industry and Entrepreneurs Roundtable: Growing Computer and Video Game Development in New York” at NYU-Poly in the Dibner Building, Pfizer Auditorium, 5 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, on September 20th, 2013; and then held a similar “Public Meeting:” to gather information for the development of policy on Growing Computer and Video Game Development in New York at the Rochester Institute of Technology at the RIT Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interaction and Creativity (MAGIC), 1600 Student Innovation Hall, Bldg. 87, 102 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, New York on October 22nd, 2013.

About Me

I formerly have commented on various political blogs concerning Republican politics. Although the focus of my political commentary has been on the Brooklyn GOP and other aspects of politics in Brooklyn, I have also posted commentary about national matters.
If you wish to contact Galewyn Massey directly, please, Email to galewynmasban@gmail.com